Improvement in hydrostatic or hydraulic presses for pressing cotton



Unire rrares artnr y tries.

JOHN IIOUPT, OF FOBKLAND, ALABAMA.

IMPRVEMENT IN HYDROSIATIC OR HYDRAULIC PRESSES FOR PRESSING COTTON, do.

Speelcal lou forming part ofLctters Patent No. 2,232! dalcd August 2l,154i.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HOUPT, of Forkland, in the county of Greene andState of Alabama, have made certain Improvements in the Hydraulic Pressor Apparatus for Press ing Cotton and other Substances Requiring greatPower; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription thereof.

My first improvement consists in the formation of an air-chamber withinthe forcepump apparatus, which air-chamber is to operate as a regulatorof the charge of water received into the force-pump, diminishing thischarge as the pressure increases and the power required to force thewater `into the cylinder of the hydraulic press becomes greater.

)Iy second improvement is in the manner of connecting the follower withthe cap of the press, so as to cause said follower to rise vertically,and to preserve its parallelism with thecap or head of the press duringits whole movement.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is :1i-'longitudinal verticalsection of the press. Fig. 2 is a sectional ground plan of the press andthe tube by which it is connected with the force-pump. Fig. 3 is atransverse elevation of the press, consisting, mainly, of a sectionthrough one of its side pillars or supports. Fig. 4 is a longitudinalelevation of the forcepumps, showing them in section and exhibiting theapparatus by which the water is forced into the cylinder of thehydraulic press. Fig. is a transverse section of one of these pumps, andFig. 6 a horizontal sectional ground plan exhibiting the passagesthrough the respective tubes in that direction.

In Fig. 1, A A,'which constitutes the lower part of the frame of thepress, is a strong casting of iron, forming one piece with the cylinderE of the hydraulic press. B B are the two side pillars, usually made ofcast-iron. These pillars are cast hollow to admit stout iron bolts topass through them, the heads of which are seen at Z Z bearing againstthe bottom casting, and their upper ends passing through the head orcaptimber C, which is secured to them by screw-nuts Y Y. D is thelbllower, upon which the bale or other article to be pressed is placed,and which is to be forced up by the piston or rain F of thehydraulicpress. II H are guider-rods, of which there are four-two atcach end of the press-A as shown at H H in Fig. 3. At their lower endsthey are connected by joint-pins or gudgeons to the follower D, and attheir upper ends they are similarly connected to two leverbeams, asshown at I I. These two lever beams are coupled together by a rod orlink,

of timber, YV IV, attached to and standing above the cap-timber C. Underthe follower D there is a plate of cast-iron, against the center ofwhich the plunger F of the hydraulic cylinder operates, and to thisplate are attached brass or composition metal sliding pieces Y V,adapted to slide on the inner sides of thepillars B B, and by means ofthese and of the guider-rods H H, connected to the leverbeams, as abovedescribed, the follower D will be made to rise without deviating fromthe horizontal position, notwithstanding any greater resistance it maymeet with in one part than in another. G is the conducting tube throughwhich water is forced into the cylinder Fl. There is a stuffing-box atL, to prevent the escape of water around the plungel. Y

In Fig. 2, which is the sectional groundplan of the press, A A is thelower piece of the frame E, the cylinder cast with it, as shown anddescribed in referring to Fig. l. G G is the conducting-tube for thepassage of water to the cylinder.

In the transverse section, Fig. 3, of this press the respective partswhich are shown are designated by the same letters of refer-f ence asthe corresponding parts in Figs. l and 2.

In the longitudinal section, Fig. 4, of the pumping apparatus twoforce-pumps are represented of different powers or capacities. In thisgure A A is a pillar` or column of castiron, supporting a lever-beam, BB. rlhis beam is worked by means of a steam-engine, or otherwise. rlheconnectingrod G leads from it to the crank H on the shaft of theflywheel I I.

rest on a common base, D D. E E of the force-pumps pass throughstuffing'- boXes F F in the usual manner, and these plungers are to beconnected to thelever-beamby links and bolts at Z Z Y Y.

In Fig. 5, which is a transverse section of K, and they have theirfulcra in a stout frame C C are the pump-cylinders, which are cast ontothe sides of the column Aand` rlhe plungers one of these pumps, thereare also exhibited the manner of connecting it with the supplytubes,those for conveying the water to the hydraulic press, the pumpvalves,safetyvalves, the air-chamber, and other parts. Those marked C, D, E,and F are similarly designated in Fig. 4. K is the supply-pipe dippinginto the cistern w. L is the lower valve onthe upper end of thesupply-pipe; M, ahorizontalv tube, forming a communication between thelower'valve -chamber and the pump-cylinder. N is the upper valve,between the pipe M and the chamber S, into which the pipe O opens,through which the water is to be forced into the hydraulic cylinder. I?is a safety-valve for the escape of water when the pressure is as greatas ought to be admitted, which valve may be loaded by a weight, 0, toany desired amount. Q is a cistern to receive the water which may escapethrough the safety-valve. Through the opening leading into the cistern Qthe pump may be oiled in the following manner: If oil is poured throughthe funnel t,it will pass down to s, and if the safety-valve be thenraised while the plunger E is rising said oil will be drawn into thepump and will lubricate it.

In the horizontal sectional plan, Fig. 6, the respective tubes ofcommunication running horizontally are exhibited, together with thestop-cocks, discharging-cocks, and other portions of the apparatus. Theparts marked A, C, D, and P are the same with those so designated inFigs. 4 and 5. In theselast-named figures one only of the force-pumpsisshown; but in Fig. 6 the connection of the two is exhib` ited, togetherwith the arrangement by which they are connected to the hydrauliccylinder. R R are the lower valve-chambers, one of which is seen at R,Fig. 5; P P, the safetyvalve openings, and S S the flanges of the uppervalve-chambers, as at S, Fig. 5. 'ITand VU are the conductor-tubes,throigh/,which the water is to be forced, the tube connecting with thetube G in Fig. `2; IA screw-valve or stop-cock at m prevents the waterfrom passing into the tubell until its action is wanted inl thepress-cylinder. An indicator or apparatus showing the pressure of thewatermay be connected with the tube T, as at V, and this indicator maybe constructed in any of the known modesV of forming such instruments.There should be two or more press-cylinders and presses connected to thesame forcingpumps, so that when one is forced up. and the pressing beingcompleted another may be set -at work while a fresh bale is beingsupplied to the former. The valve or stop-cock atserves to discharge thewater when the pressure of a bale is completed, and that at Z serves toallow the water to pass onto a second press. k is a retaining-valve,which prevents the water from ilowing back through the tube U into thetube T, when it is allowed to pass to 'a second press by the opening ofZ.

A main feature of my improvement is the combining of an-airchamber withone of the force-pumps in such a manner as that it shall operate inregulating the charge or quantity of water received into the force-pump,and consequently that supplied to the pressingcylinder. In hydraulicpresses, where two or more force-pumps are used, they are graducomestoogreat for the action of a large pump a smaller may be made to operat.

In my press one of the pumps is made considerably larger than the other,and in the chamber It, Fig. 5, connected with the larger pump, I forman' air space or vessel, within which the air will be compressed inproportion to the increase of pressure within the apparatus. q, Fig. 5,is a valve, by which air may be admitted into, and p one by which it maybe discharged from, the chamber R, it being important to regulate thequantity, as if this be too great it will yield too readily to theaction of the force-pump and prevent the forcing the water withsufficient power; and if too small the advantage to be derived from itsuse will be in'part lost. This regulation, however, is easily made bythe means provided for that purpose. Should any difficulty result fromthe absorption of air by the water, this may be obviated by making thechamber R cylindrical, and placing apiston init which shall operatebetween the air and the water; but as in pressing the air and the watermay be reversed between every operation, there is but little, if any,difficulty to be apprehended from this cause.

Vhen the water in the pump is forced by the plunger E, the air in theair-chamber will be compressed and a part only of the charge of waterwill be forced through the upper valve, N, into the press-cylinder. Asthe plunger returns the air will expand and send forth a portion ofwater from the air-chamber into the pump-cylinder, making a part of itsnext supply, and a portion also will be raised through the lower valve,L. As the strain increases the air in the air-chamber will undergogreater compression, and will consequently expand more, therebydiminishing the fresh supply from the reservoir, and the rst or largerforce-pump will thus be made to operate in the manner of a succession ofpumps of diminished capacity and increasing power, and thus graduallyprepare the apparatus for the action of the smaller force-pump, which isnot to be furnished with'an air-chamber, and by which the packing is tobe completed.

I will here remark that instead of the airchamber a piston operated uponby steel springs may be employed, such springs being placed above what Ihave denominated the air-chamber,77 and being made to act by theirelasticity upon a piston within it in contact with the water. Theiraction, however,

will be less perfect than that of the air.

In describing this apparatus I have not only set forth those partsthereof which I consider as new and as of my invention, but I have alsoexhibited what I consider to be the most ated in size, so that when theresistance beconvenient and the best arrangement of those in which shallbe Compressed in proportion Vto parts which are substantially the sainewith the force with which the press is operating, those already knownand-used, and to WhiohI and in such manner as that it shall by its re-(lo not therefore make any claim; but action graduallyY diminish thequantity of Vhat I do claim is- Water raised from the reservoir7 andthus l. The manner of combining the follower of graduate the actionpreparatory to the operathe press With its head or cap-piece by meanstion of a smaller or more powerful force-pump, of two lever-beams andtheir connecting-rods7 i as herein fully made known.

arranged and operating1 in the manner and for v J OHN HOUPT. Jfhepurpose set forth. Vitliesses:

2. The combining, With the force-pump of THOS. l?. J ONES,

the hydrostatic press7 an air-chamber, the air l M. E. J ONES.

